Burial apparatus



(No Model. 3 Sheefs-Sheet 1.

F HAUG BURIAL APPARATUS.

No. 468,995. Patented Feb. 16; 1892.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. .HAUG; BURIAL APPARATUS.

No. 468,995. Patented Feb. 16, 1892.

(No Model.) F HAUG. s Sheets-Sheet 3. BURIAL APPARATUS. No. 468,995. Patented Peb.'16', 1-892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FIDEL HAUG, OF NEYV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,995, dated February 16, 1892. Application filed August 13, 1891- Serial No. 402,583. (No model.)

' fication.

My invention relates to burial apparatus; and it has for its object to provide a device which will facilitate the lowering of the coffin into the grave and the subsequent filling thereof with earth, thus having for its object. to avoid the slow process of lowering coffins into the grave manually by means of ropes passed thereunder and then filling the excavation by the slow and tedious process of using shovels and finally mounding the grave by hand, all of which is avoided by the use of this machine in which after the coffin is lowered the earth is dumped into the grave and the mound formed thereon at the same time almost instantly; and with these objects in view the invention consists in a portable dumping-box and a swinging crane carrying hoisting apparatus constructed and arranged in the novel manner hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,- Figurel is a perspective view of a burial apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention and located alongside of a grave and in the act of lowering the coffin therein. Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the machine with the coflin supported upon the supports of the dumpingbox preparatory to being swung out over the grave. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same, showing the adjustable feet. Fig. dis a transverse sectional view of the apparatus. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 00 as of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of the dumpgate-operating rod. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the mound-forming frame.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 represents a rectangular dump-box constructed of suitable material and supported upon the wheels 2, mounted upon the central transverse, axle 3, and upon the front and rear supporting-wheels 4, mounted in suitable castings 5, which provide means whereby the said box may be easily transported or moved from one grave to another, being designed to be located alongside of the ordinary excavations adapted for the reception of a coffin, and to be used to hold the earth removed from such excavations and subsequently replace the same within the grave after the coffin has been placed therein. The said box is provided with a slanting or inclined bottom 6, which slopes from the center of one side to the bottom edge of the opposite, and is suitably sheathed within the side and end walls and said sloping bottomwith a sheathing 7 of suitable sheet metal, in order that any of the earth placed within the box may not adhere to the sides thereof and will find an easy egress from said box down theinclined bottom. The side of the box which when in position is adjacent to the grave and directly over the lower edge of the slanting bottom is provided. with a rectangular opening 8, extending the entire length of the box to within a short distance from its top edge, and is designed to allow a free passage of the earth from within the box down and the same is normally inclosed by the gate 9,hinged at 10 at the top edge of said rectangular opening, and is provided with a lower inwardly-beveled edge 11, that is adapted to register with the lower incline 12 at the lower edge of the slanting bottom,and when closed forms a tight and compact joint which secu rely keeps all the material within the box until the hinged gate is thrown open. Longitudinally secured across the face of said hinged gate within the eyes 13 therein is the locking and operating rod 14. Said operating-rod is provided at each end adjacent to the ends of the hinged inclosing cover with the curved lugs or studs 15, that are adapted when the hinged door is closed ,to engage the hooks 16, secured at opposite ends of the box and projecting slightly without the face of the same, in order that they may be readily engaged by said lugs, which are allowed further play within the recesses 17, also located in opposite ends of the box and directly over and back of said hooks. One end of said locking-rod terminates in a crank-handle l7 and is further provided with a ratchet-Wheel 18, which, when the swinging gate is closed, is designed to work close to one end of said box and be engaged bythe locking-pawl 19,

the inclined bottom and over into the grave,

formed at one end of a bell-crank lever 20, terminating in an enlarged end 21, forminga foot-tri p, by means of which the said pawl may be thrown out of engagement with the said the opening which it incloses and may be held securely in this position by the locking-pawl engaging the ratchet-wheel at one end of said operating-rod. The manner in which the earth may be dumped into the grave after the coffin has been placed therein is now thought to be apparent. One end, or both ends,if desired, of said dumping-box 1 is provided with the vertical grooves 20*, within which are adapted to work the adjustable feet 21 which are designed to compensate for any unevennesses of the ground where the said box may be located, and thus place the same in aproper position at the edge of the grave for evenly dumping its contents therein. Said feet are provided with the longitudinal slots 22, that are adapted to work over the screws 23, projecting out from the end of the dump-box from within the vertical grooves therein and be held at any elevation desired by means of the thumb-screws 24 working thereon. Both ends of said dumping-box are further provided with the enlargements 25, which are provided with the sockets 26, which are adapted to receive and support from either end, as may be desired, the swinging crane 27. The vertical standard 23 of said crane is provided at its lower end with the spindle 29, that-is adapted to be seated within either of the sockets at either end of the box, and thus support the said crane upon the dumping box and atv the same time allow the same to be swung from either side of the box. The outer end of the cross-arm 30 of the crane secured to the top of the vertical standard 29 is provided with right-angularly disposed and communicating slots 31 and 32, respectively, the cross-slot 31 accommodating the screw-shaft 33, laterally adjustable therein and held in any position therein by the thumb-nut 34, working upon the outside of said slot and on said screw-shaft, while the Vertical slot 32 is designed to accommodate the pulley 35, mounted upon said cross-shaft and laterally, adjustable within said slot in the manner as set forth. A hoisting-rope 36 is designed to pass over the pulley 35 and within the slot 32, Within which the same is located and over the supplemental guide-pulley 37, located upon the opposite end of said cross-arm 30 and be wound around the winding-drum 38, mounted upon the stub-shaft 39,

' secured within the upright standard 29 of said frame near its lower end. Said drum is provided along one edge with a series of ratchet-teeth 40, which are adapted to be engaged by the weighted pivoted pawl 41, se-

cured to said upright and normally engaging said ratchet-teeth and preventing said winding-drum from turning back. A pinion 42 is also mounted upon said shaft and is designed to be engaged by the smaller pinion 43,

mounted'upon the shaft44, beneath said stubshaft, and-also secured within said vertical standard, and is operated by the crank-handle 45, secured to said shaft, which thus communicates motion to the winding-drum when desired and operate the hoisting-rope. The free end of said hoisting-rope depending from the outer end of the crane is connected to an inverted-T-shaped bracket 46, to opposite sides of which are pivoted the upper links 47 of the toggle-joint grapples 48, which are adapted to grasp beneath the coffin and lower the same in the grave in the manner to be described.

The top edges of the inclosing sides ofthe dump-box are provided with the bearings 49, which are designed to accommodate the spindle ends of the supporting and sliding rollers 50, which are placed in the bearings adjacent to the end over which the coffin is elevated, and said rollers are designed to allow the coffin to be slid over the top of said dump-box and in a position where it may be readily engaged by said grappling-hook, and when rolled in its correct position upon said dump-box is held thereon by means of the roller over which it is rolled and the square cross-cleat 51, which takes under the opposite end of the coflin and supports the samein aposition over the dumpbox in a manner somewhat similar to which the coffin is ordinarily supported over a.

grave. In this position the grappling-hooks are placed over the coffin, so that their hooked ends may engage the bottom thereof, and by operating the winding-dru m at the end of the crane the same elevates the coffin from its supports, as can be readily seen, and may then be lowered into the adjacent grave by swinging the crane outwardly and releasing the winding-drum, so that it maybe revolved in the opposite direction.

After the coffin has been lowered into the grave by the hoisting-crane and grapplinghooks in the manner just described, the same is immediately filled at a single operation by unlocking the inclosing gate in the manner described, which permits the earth to slide down the inclined chute within the box and into the grave. The top of the grave is inclosed by a rectangular frame 52, having the inclined sides and ends, which comprise a frame conforming in shape to the usual mound which finishes off a grave and by the use of'which, as the earth is dropped within the excavation, the mound to the grave is the lower edge of one of the sides of said box, a longitudinal opening in one side thereof, a swinging gate inclosing said opening and meeting the lower edge of said inclined bottom, a locking-rod pivotally mounted upon said gate and provided with means for en gaging said box and locking said gate, and a -isterin g with the incline of said bottom, a locking-rod pivotally mounted upon said gate and provided with curved locking-studs adapted to engage said projecting hooks, an operatingliandle and ratchet- Wheel, and an angular locking-pawl adapted to engage said ratchetwheel and be operated by the foot, substantially as set forth.

3. In a burial apparatus, a portable dumping-box provided with enlargements at each end having sockets, a crane pivotally and interchangeably mounted in either of said sockets and provided with pawl-and-ratchet hoisting mechanism and adjustable guide-pulleys, and hoisting-grapples connected with and operated by said hoisting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

4. In a burial apparatus, a portable dumping-box provided with enlargements at each end having sockets, a crane pivotally and interchangeably mounted in either of said sockets and provided with hoisting mechanism, horizontal and vertical communicating slots located at the outer end of said crane, and'a guide pulley and shaft laterally adjustable in said slots, ahoisting-rope passing over said adjustable pulley and connected with said hoisting mechanism, and grapples connected to said rope, substantially as set forth.

5. In a burial apparatus, a portable dumping-box provided with bearings upon its top edges, rollers resting in said bearings, cross supporting-bars, and means for hoisting and lowering the coffin connected to said box, substantially as set forth.

6. In a burial apparatus, the combination, with the supporting-box and the hoisting mechanism mounted upon said box, of an in- Verted-T-shaped bracket connected with said hoisting mechanism, and a pair of opposite grapples connected to opposite ends of the head of said bracket at a divergent angle thereto to widely separate the grappling ends of said grapples in order to engage the front and rear ends of the coffiu to be raised and lowered, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FIDEL HAUG.

Witnesses:

J. O. SOHERNBEOK, J AHN BASSICH, Sr. 

